The Sound of His Goodbye
by NoctIsFishing
Summary: [COMPLETE] Uncertain of who he was or what he was becoming, Yamato had no choice but to say it. The people he loved would learn to understand why. They'd have to, anyway. He didn't even plan to face anyone when he left, not even the one he cared about the most. However, he didn't realize that sometimes things don't go as they plan, and sometimes, they turn for the worst. [Sorato]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Yamato was no good at saying goodbye.

It was hard for him at the end of every school year, as goodbyes were said to the older children who graduated or transferred to other schools. The end of summer camp was no different, with the exception of some of the kids he knew that he'd see again. It was hard when his grandmother passed away, but worst of all, he couldn't face anyone, not even his own father, for weeks after he was separated from Takeru and his mother.

Sometimes, they said the word, and sometimes, they didn't. Every time, however, he was left behind, without knowing whether it mattered if he said it back.

He wondered if it mattered, now that he was the one about to leave.

It wouldn't, anyway. Not if anyone else found out what he really was.

Yamato left the Ishida home on that cold, autumn evening. His father wasn't going to be home until late from work, so it was easier to walk away from an empty apartment, even with the guilt he carried with him.

He never told his father about his other life. He had only kept his distance since it first happened. He never told him about his newfound love for meat, or the thrill he got as he ran through the forest at the edge of the city, the cold wind blasting against his cheeks. He never explained why he turned up home later in the night than his father did, and he did well to brush off the fur from his jacket and to cover the claw marks on his skin.

_"Dude, where are you? You never answer your phone anymore."_

_"Not even a text back? Really, Yama?"_

Yamato put his phone back into his pocket as soon as he took it out to read the messages, and kept on walking as a light drizzle fell from above. He decided to ignore Taichi, his best friend, as he did most of the time. Why would this time be any different?

Taichi had no idea about Yamato's ability to transform, either; although, Yamato did sense that he was suspicious. Taichi tried to press him for answers, asking why he turned away from being a vegetarian all of a sudden, and since when did he get some tone in his muscles? It offended Taichi that Yamato was working out after all those times he invited him to the university gym.

Yamato's phone buzzed, and he nearly threw it out onto the street, annoyed with being pestered by Taichi. But, when he looked at the screen, the name that popped up was one that he knew he would never ignore.

"Takeru," he said, with the phone against his ear.

"Nii-san…" Takeru's voice was calm, but apprehensive. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"It's the only way."

Takeru was the first to find out about Yamato. It was after he had been dragged and cornered into an alley by three men looking for a fight. They threw a few punches before they heard a growl that they never expected to hear in the inner city, nor did they expect to see a dangerous creature lurking the streets. The three men ran, and when Takeru walked home, the creature followed, which Takeru found unnerving yet oddly comforting at the same time. He felt safe enough that he didn't have to call for his older brother to come after him.

Then, as Takeru was about to insert his key into the lock, he heard the animal fall to its side and let out a low whimper. He never imagined that he would see his older brother lying in its place soon after. He gasped with the key slipping from his hand, and he ran to Yamato's side, realizing that his older brother, in a different form, had been with him all along.

"Please… Nii-san…"

Even as he walked closer to the forest, Yamato felt his heart break at the sound of Takeru's voice. It nearly convinced him to turn around and run back. Run to Takeru, and make sure he was safe.

But the forest was where he had to go. It was where he would join the pack of animals that were the same as the one he turned into. Staying in the world as he was now made him a danger to those around him, a danger to those he deeply cared for, a danger to himself. Escaping deep into the forest was the only way to protect those that he loved.

No one would ever accept a monster like him.

"You never made me feel alone in this world, Nii-san," said Takeru. "I'm begging you to stay. You don't have to be alone in this."

"Takeru, I'm not normal. I am not all human, but not all beast. Whatever happens to me, I'll always be alone."

Yamato stopped walking when he hung up the call, the rain falling faster now. He realized where he was and looked up at the building in front of him, staring at the light from the window a few floors up. She wasn't near her desk by the window, which made him figure that she had fallen asleep on her bed as got the last of her studying done for the night.

It was typical for Sora to do that, even on her busiest days with lectures at university, with her part time job at her mother's shop to top it off. Even then, he knew that she was waiting for him to stop by.

She found out about him during one night when he wanted to come over to have a talk. She had just made dinner for him, and she was telling him about some news on campus about mysterious animal sightings around town. Just as she picked up dinner off of the stove, she realized Yamato's clothes were sprawled on the floor, and she caught sight of the animal in her own kitchen, causing her to turn the pan upside down, spilling dinner all over and burning her hand in the process. Cautiously, he edged closer to her in his animal form, anticipating for her to jump back.

He was the one who recoiled first as she took her free hand to touch his cheek. When he let her, she trailed her fingers along his fur, and he felt the odd pleasure of being scratched behind his ear.

"This was what you wanted to talk about?" Sora had whispered to him once he had returned human and put his clothes back on. Then, she laughed as Yamato held her hand to tend to it. "I was afraid you were going to break up with me."

She was the only one who made him smile.

Breaking up with Sora was the last thing that Yamato wanted to do, not when he first shared his dark secret to her and everything that went along with it. He had confided in her about all of those times he wanted to run away—even as she protested—how he quit his band after he nearly transformed in his ever-growing rage. He had told her about how he ran into a pack of his kind in the forest, not all of them welcoming, and he even fretted about where the hell did he even fit in anymore.

Lightning flashed, followed by the rumbling of thunder. Time was of the essence, and he knew that they were waiting for him in the forest. Soon, he would join the animals like him, and he would leave his human life behind forever.

Yamato stared at the window for a little while longer before finally turning away from the one person he never wanted to say goodbye to.

As he walked down the quiet street, his ears perked up as he sensed them. Two men walking a few feet behind him, following his every step. He continued to walk along, but his stomach turned as he recognized who these two were. Their quickening footsteps behind him confirmed that they were out to get him.

He ran as fast as he legs carried him, but they ran just as quickly. He knew he could speed up once he transformed, but he couldn't run the risk of anyone else seeing, not while he was still in town.

Just as Yamato was in the forest's reach, they knocked him down, catching him off guard as he tumbled down the hill towards the trees of the forest.

"You'll pay for what your friends did to my brother!" one of them yelled angrily.

"Eiji… Kaoru…" Yamato called to the two young men as he struggled to lift himself up from the tumble. "Don't follow me. You'll be in more danger than you realize."

"Don't think we'll let you get away with what you did, Ishida," said the other. "We know everything about you. Your family. Your friends. Takeru. Sora. We'll get you and the rest of those monsters, and we'll get the rest of your family, too!"

"No, you won't," he said, gaining strength as he used his arms to rise on his knees. He clenched his fists and breathed heavily, feeling the anger rising in his chest with each breath. He felt himself take a deep breath, and he lifted his eyes past their menacing gazes while they closed in on him, only going higher and higher until he was blinded by rage the moment his eyes rose to the moon.

.

.

.

.

.

.

At the sound of the howl, Sora sat up on her bed, wide awake.

.

.

.

.

.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sora expected Yamato's goodbye.

No matter how many times she tried to convince him otherwise, she knew Yamato had planned to leave everything behind. She noticed it in the way he closed himself off from his own father and brother, when she observed his growing number of absences in their classes, and when he nearly smashed his bass guitar after leaving his band. Even Taichi was venting to her more than he usually did about Yamato turning him down whenever he wanted to hang out.

Sora saw this coming the more Yamato talked about the wolves in the forest, how most of them didn't see him fit for their pack, given who he was. But she knew that nothing had triggered him more than the last Party Night at the bar near their university, where he overheard a group of guys planning to head to the forest for a peek at the hideout of the mysterious wolf. At first, she thought nothing of it when Yamato kissed her cheek when he said he felt like leaving early for the night.

Then, when she found his bloodied shirt on the floor the moment she walked into her apartment, she realized that there had been more to him leaving early. She was amazed at how he even heard those from across the bar, as it had been so loud that night, and she could barely hear Taichi's loud chatter with her and their other friends.

"Those idiots walked right into the wolves' den," Yamato told her, while waved his hand to stop her from rushing for towels for the fresh claw marks on his chest. "One of the guys was about to get mauled to death. I had no choice but to turn. Right in front of them."

"They saw you...?" Sora asked, hearing Yamato hiss but without further protest as she pressed a towel drenched in alcohol against the marks. "Did he get hurt?"

"He was knocked unconscious, but I stopped the wolves from doing anything worse. Obviously, they weren't too happy with me."

"At least the bleeding isn't too bad." Sora grabbed a clean, dry towel to wrap around his torso, wishing she had a bandage wrap for situations like this. "And at least nothing worse happened."

Yamato paused, and Sora noticed his eyes hadn't met hers since she arrived home.

"Those guys… They called me a monster."

The look in his eyes showed her that it must have hurt worse than the wounds on his chest.

"You are not a monster," she whispered, knowing then that it was in vain. She knew then that if he decided to leave, he'd be in worse danger than he was already in. Him showing up at her place with a few slashes and bruises frightened her enough, but she couldn't bear to imagine him that way on his own in the wilderness, where she couldn't care for him at all.

But she also knew that those words he heard just added to his wounds, driving him further and further into the idea of leaving.

* * *

The night that she woke up to his howl confirmed it.

"Yamato," she said under her breath, jumping from her bed and diving for her phone on her desk. Fear shot up her spine as she pushed to light up the screen, scrolling through the missed calls and unread messages that she had hoped were from him. "Please be alright, please be alright…" she muttered as she browsed, though only to find that he hadn't responded to her last text message.

Her phone screen lit up then, flashing Takeru's name as he called her.

"You knew where he was going, too, didn't you?" she asked him when she answered.

"I'm sorry, Sora," he replied, his voice wavering. "I tried to stop him…"

"I know you did, Takeru."

Sora jumped at the clap of thunder, but that pushed her to head to her closet find her coat.

"You're going out there, aren't you?"

"I have to. I'm going to bring him back, and make him take back his goodbye."

"If he's going to listen to anyone, it's going to be you."

"Call Jou," Sora said, fishing out an umbrella and a flashlight from her closet. "Fill him in with what's happening. Just in case."

"And what about Taichi?" Takeru asked. "He's been asking about Yamato."

Sora sighed.

"I'll handle Taichi."

She should have expected to deal with Taichi sooner. The moment Sora stepped out in the pouring rain, a voice called out to her in the street. She turned to see him, wearing his own jacket, his face appeared flushed as he got off his bicycle. Sora figured that he had sped his way to her a few blocks from his own apartment.

She knew he showed up for one reason. Guilt crept up her chest knowing that he was going to be persistent about Yamato. She had ignored Taichi's messages all night, and she knew with all his vents in the last few weeks to her that something was up. She felt bad that she and Yamato were keeping his secret from Taichi, and she anxiously wanted to tell him.

But at that moment, she didn't want to waste any time.

"You... and Yamato… why aren't you answering my messages?!" he asked.

"Look, I can't talk now, Taichi," Sora said, ready to turn from him. "Yamato's in trouble. I need to find him."

"Wait, he's in trouble...? What do you mean? What happened?"

"There's no time to explain! I really have to go-"

"Sora, wait! You can't leave me in the dark like this!"

"I'm sorry, Taichi, I can't-"

_"Sora, stop!" _Tai demanded, causing her to stay in her spot. "This is our best friend we're talking about! Something's been up with him for a while now, and I hate that he hasn't told me what. What's worse, you're keeping something from me, too! Now, if Yamato's in trouble, you _know _I'm not just going to stand here and wait for the worst to happen!"

Sora stared at him as he stared back. He was adamant in finding an answer, and she remained steadfast in her spot, but it took a lot to keep herself from breaking down in front of him.

"The worst might have already happened, Taichi. We have to head to the forest."

"The forest? Wha-"

"Let's _go!_"

Sora cut Taichi off and began to run, leaving him no choice but to follow her lead. She hoped that would shut him up with the questions, but as he followed on his bike behind her, he continued to press her for more.

"Seriously, the forest?" Taichi asked. "Why there out of all places, Sora? It's dark, and rainy, and we don't know what's out there!"

"You didn't use to be so cautious," Sora spat out in response.

"And _you _didn't use to be so reckless!"

They reached the edge of town, where the last lamppost stood before a hill that lead into the forest that was pitch black. At the top of the hill, Sora stopped as her flashlight spotted a pile of clothes at the bottom. She felt her heart stop at the sight, but when she ran down the hill along with Taichi, there was no mistaking that it was Yamato's shirt ripped in two, along with his jeans and jacket covered in dirt and mud from the rain. But Sora knew, seeing streaks of red, that there was more to this than she first thought.

"H...Hey, Sora…" said Taichi, as though he voice caught in his throat when he recognized the clothes.

Sora used her flashlight to survey any sign of where Yamato might have gone. If there was blood on his shirt, then…

"There," she said, shining her light through the bushes, finding spots of blood. "If he's injured, there might be a trail."

"You don't mean…"

"We have to go into the forest...". Sora clutched Yamato's jacket against her chest. "We have to get Yamato back."

"Sora… They say there's a wolf out there."

Sora turned to Taichi, recognizing the shift in tone in his voice. He was no longer loud and demanding, but the slight hesitation she heard in his voice until they stopped walking was now clear.

She'd have to let him see for himself.

"Taichi," she said. "We can't wait for the worst to happen."

He nodded, and Sora knew that he understood. He held his hands out as an offer to carry her umbrella and flashlight, and she walked with him into the forest, with Yamato's clothes wrapped up and held close to her chest.

* * *

_What good will this do?_ thought Yamato, crouched underneath a shrubbery of leaves in the dark of the night, the silence only interrupted by the sound of steady rain. In the moment of the turn, as he let out a howl he darted into the forest, running as fast as his four legs could take him. He withstood the pain on his foreleg, where he must have fallen into a stone as he tumbled down that hill. The voices of the two human men who ran after him echoed behind him, though their voices quickly became softer the farther he got.

_What good will this do? _

He stopped running and took his place in the leaves, the pain in his leg suddenly more agonizing the longer he laid still. How was he going to move? He felt it bleeding, and the rain only magnified the scent. It was only a matter of time before he would hear the two men holler with a sinister laugh draw closer, until they discovered him for them to seek their revenge.

He heard the sound of a low growl first. Even in the pitch-black forest, he could see a pair of eyes staring at him. It was her, the Alpha wolf. Two more pairs of eyes appeared on either side of her, her Beta wolves, and he could see the Alpha baring her fangs.

_What good will this do… if they all want me dead?_

At the snap of a twig, everyone's eyes changed direction. Yamato spotted two lit torches floating towards them, followed by the sinister voices he had hid away from. He heard the Alpha growling again, but he knew that it wasn't towards him.

It was Yamato's turn to growl. _Leave them be_, he told her. _Let me handle them._

_No human is welcome in this forest,_ she snarled. _And that goes for you, too. We'll deal with you later._

The Alpha and her subordinates made their way towards the humans, crouched low and stealthy through the grass. Yamato barked in protest as he pushed himself up with his forelegs to stand, only to feel the sting of pain, and he whimpered as he staggered back down.

_I have to stop her_, he thought, but right before his ears twitched as they picked up a new sound. A pair of voices with harsh whispers as they shuffled through the damp foliage.

"I've got a bad feeling about this place," whispered the male. "How are we going to even find Yama if we're both too afraid to shout his name?"

_Taichi?_

"I _know _he's in here," the female whispered back. "We'll find him. But knowing him, he'll probably find us first."

_Sora..._

"How would you figure that?"

A flicker of light shone in front of the ground that they walked along, which Yamato noticed was quickly approaching the floating torches.

_No..._

Yamato saw the three wolves continue their crawl, but one of the Betas stopped as he turned to face the direction of the flashlight.

Both Taichi and Sora's footsteps stopped abruptly then, and Yamato saw the flashlight freeze in its movement.

The Beta stood in wait, with his ears perked up, and his hind legs bent back as though he was ready to pounce. He was going to attack, Yamato knew it.

Yamato no longer cared about the throbbing pain in his leg as forced himself to stand. He wasn't about to hide and watch the people he cared about fall victim to a monster like him.

A "monster"...

As the Alpha and her Beta revealed themselves to their prey, causing the two men to scream, the other Beta walked into the light of the flashlight, which had been trembling in Taichi's hands. The umbrella above their heads was no longer there to protect them from the rain. Taichi stared wide-eyed and fearful into the Beta's, as Sora looked as though she was squeezing his arm.

Yamato ran towards them. He hated seeing Sora afraid like this, with her breathing heavy in a panic and the rain dripping down her hair and hiding the tears on her face.

But, he knew what she was about to do, and he was ready to answer when she did.

"_YAMATO!"_ she screamed, just as the Beta growled, making his jump.

And that was when Yamato leapt into the air, claws up and out, heading straight toward the Beta.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you all so very much for your patience! Hope you enjoy this read. Shout out to _Music_Chick_ for beta-ing this final chapter, and for being supportive and encouraging, especially when I needed it most. You rock!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Taichi wasn't sure if he was ready to say goodbye.

Staring into the dark eyes of the dark grey wolf as it jumped at them, baring its fanged teeth and its sharp claws, Taichi thought it was inevitable to have to say it. He pushed Sora back behind him on instinct, throwing his arms up and out to stop the wolf from getting to her first.

Then, Sora screamed, and everything happened so quickly. The flashlight that he was holding had flown out of his hands, and he felt the whoosh of claws swiping at him, just as he dodged out of their reach. Both he and Sora fell back against the ground. He heard a crunch followed by an agonizing scream, most likely from one of the guys with the torches that he caught sight of.

But what drew his attention was hearing the snarl from the wolf - and suddenly, a yelp - which was overtaken by the growling of another, as the wolf was hurled away from them.

What the hell just happened? Was that wolf just attacked by one of its own?

It was too dark to see amidst the chaos, and all that Taichi felt was the ground underneath him, along with the rain falling against his cheeks. The other voices he heard shouting for help were muffled against his ears. He tried to shake off the initial shock and sat up, feeling the wet grass and mud on his palms.

There was no time to waste.

"Sora, you alright?" he asked urgently, lifting himself from the ground. "Can you get up?"

"I'm fine," she replied, which was a relief to him, especially since he needed to get them both out of there as soon as they possibly could. Never did he think that there would actually be a pack of wolves living in the forest, let alone the one he had heard about from the guys in class. He knew nothing about wolves, but he knew that the ones in front of him were angry, thanks to those guys who provoked them; and, he knew that they were ready to attack him and Sora again, if they didn't leave soon enough.

"We need to get to Yamato," were Sora's next words, however, and the moment she got on her feet, Taichi grabbed ahold of her wrist to stop her. He pulled her back at the right moment, just before being hit by a fiery torch that flew past them. Even under the pouring rain, the fire ignited flames in the surrounding brush as soon as it fell.

"Are you insane?!" Taichi yelled, holding her as she continued to struggle toward a pair of wolves that were snapping their teeth at each other's necks.

"Let me go, Taichi!" Sora cried. "He needs me!"

"Sora!" She threw herself away from him with force, causing Taichi to lose his grip. _"Sora!"_

Sora ran a few steps, only for her feet to slip on the mud underneath her until her face met the ground once again. Taichi ran to her side, thankful at that moment for her clumsiness in getting the best of her.

"I have no idea what's gotten into you, Sora, but we need to get out of here! We can get back into town and call for help! I can't let you get hurt - Yamato will kill me if I did!"

"Taichi…" Sora's voice was low and trembling as she slowly lifted herself with her arms. "He's here…"

"What - You saw him?" Taichi looked up and realized he was crouched behind a small bush, away from the sight of any of the wolves prowling nearby. All he could see from where he sat was the light of the flames from a short distance, but close enough to hear them crackle and burn. "Not with those guys?"

Taichi squinted over the flames, catching sight of the guys that both looked to be around his age, both of them laying against the grass. He saw one of them hovering over the other who was crying out in vain as he cradled his arm, its sleeve soaked in a darkened color.

"Yamato was with _them_?" Taichi asked, looking back at Sora with disbelief. "Is that why he stopped hanging out with me? Seriously, Sora, what did I do to make him shut me out like that?"

"Don't make this about you, Taichi!" Sora said, raising her voice again. "Besides, they're the kind of guys who want the wolves dead, and they're the last people he'd ever hang out with!"

The sound of growls suddenly drew nearer, causing both Taichi and Sora to duck lower behind the bush.

"Then, help me understand!" Taichi shouted in frustration over the battling wolves and the crackling embers. "How in the world would Yamato end up here?!"

"_He's a wolf, Taichi!"_

Taichi felt as though he was pushed backward when Sora yelled, yet he couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth.

"You're… you're joking, right, Sora...?" He could hear his own voice trembling. "You didn't just say what I think you just said..."

Sora crawled over to Taichi, covering her hands over his. Her hair was drenched and her face damp from the rain pouring down, but he could tell that it wasn't raindrops that streamed down her cheeks.

"Yamato is a wolf," she told him again.

It was the look in her eyes that told him that she wasn't joking at all.

Yamato. His best friend. _A wolf?_

"He was afraid of telling anyone else, Taichi," she continued, noticing his own lack of immediate response. "You've heard the rumors - that he roams around the city at night, sometimes with his pack, and he attacks anyone who gets in his way. You _know _he wouldn't attack anyone! But, you know how quick people are to judge…"

"Is that why those guys are here?"

"They hate Yama, and they hate the wolves! And not only that, these wolves are not any different from them..."

With Sora, Taichi got up with his knees bent, his eyes just above the leaves of the bushes. Past the flames he saw one wolf that was knocked down by the other - the one who jumped in front of them before. His fur was a coat of light grey with a tinge of blue, and although he limped on one of his forelegs, he was quick on his feet to guard the other helpless humans from the other wolves that growled with the urge to attack.

The guarding wolf snarled with his teeth bared. The humans were there to harm wolves, yet Taichi saw that wolf standing there, protecting them. What's more, he had a stance of defiance against the other wolves, who looked as though they wanted him dead. Taichi saw the wolf's eyes, the blue eyes full of anguish as they lit up against the flames, and that was when he knew.

"Yamato's a wolf." He had to say it aloud to confirm it. "Holy _shit_, Yama."

"_Now_ do you understand?" Sora asked.

"Like hell I do!" Taichi shouted. "I don't understand what the hell is happening, or even _how_!" He looked back at his friend in his wolf form. "But, if I'm understanding you, Sora, and why we're here, you do realize what we're up against, don't you?"

"I'm sure you do, too."

Sora made it clear to Taichi that she was going to help Yamato, no matter what. The questions continued to race in his mind, and he had no idea how they were going to proceed. He knew that he and Sora had more of a chance to reach the same fate as the guys that cowered in fear behind Yamato.

Just then, Sora gasped and grabbed the front of Taichi's shirt. Together, they watched in horror as one of the guys took a torch to Yamato's leg, in which Yamato yelped in surprise.

"Bastard!" Taichi uttered, watching the guy run away from Yamato, who struggled to get back on his legs. There was no way that Taichi was going to let that guy off so easily. He lurched forward with a start, but stopped just as quickly and looked to Sora.

"Don't worry about me!" she said. "Go!"

xoxoxoxo

Yamato growled as he stood on his forelegs, withstanding the fresh burn on top of his existing wound. The brush nearby was lit up in flames, creating a ring of fire surrounding him, the Alpha, and the Beta that he had knocked unconscious.

_Go after that human and kill him, _ordered the Alpha to her Beta, who broke into a run past the fire without question.

_You're making a mistake, _Yamato grunted. _You'll be making more trouble than our kind is already in._

_Insolent fool,_ snarled the Alpha, who began to circle around Yamato. _You say humans are not our enemy, yet, here you are, getting injured by one. Do you still believe it now?_

_You don't understand! _Yamato barked in response, jumping in front of the Alpha with his head high and his fangs gritted. _They aren't all like that. _WE _aren't all like that. _

The Alpha snuffed which sounded like a scoff. She began to walk, but ended up walking in a circle against Yamato. _'We'?_ _'Our kind'? You can never be both._

Anger boiled within him.

_I _am_ both! Humans can be just as kind and gentle as wolves. Those guys are just bad examples… And I can say the same for you._

The Alpha stopped as Yamato did, and held caution as he stood his ground.

_All you will ever be to us… is a _MONSTER!_ You'll never find your place in this world!_

Yamato charged toward the Alpha, snapping his teeth at her neck. She leapt back, but quickly pounced on him with full force. He tumbled onto his back, rolling and stumbling to regain his footing. He knew what he had just done - he attacked the leader of the wolf pack, the pack that he was meant to lead his new life with. His chance was ruined by his yearning to belong.

But why bother trying? He had known since the moment the Alpha laid eyes on him that she wanted to get rid of him. No matter how many times he tried to convince her, she refused to see him as one of them. Furthermore, even if there were other wolves that accepted him, he knew that that was never going to be enough.

She would kill him before he could change her mind about him. Or even change her mind about humans, some of whom probably wanted him killed just as much.

How could he be both a human and a wolf? Maybe he really, truly was a monster, after all.

"Stop!" came a shout from afar. Yamato recognized that voice immediately. It caught the attention of the Alpha enough to stop from aiming for Yamato's rear leg. Yamato held his breath as he turned to see who the voice belonged to.

_Sora..._

The light of the crackling flames showed her hair dripping wet from the rain, her eyes showing fear, and her palms held out and lowered in front of her.

"Please, stop fighting," she pleaded, to the Alpha, maybe even to Yamato, too. "We don't want to hurt anyone…"

She didn't step any closer, but she turned her head to him, her face now showing worry and desperation. "Yamato…Come home… Please…"

"_You are not a monster."_

Yamato remembered her words and wanted to step back from this fight. He knew that Sora didn't understand him at all, but she had always been willing to try. He suddenly felt foolish trying to run away from someone who loved him, regardless of who he was.

The fires appeared to calm down around them, but he wanted to run to her and lead her away from the fire, back to safety. He wanted to go back home.

That was when sharp pain took over Yamato's chest. He cried in agony as he was thrown back against the ground.

"Yamato!" Sora shrieked.

The bite marks that the Alpha left were deep red in color, and he felt the warmth of his own blood trickling down. The Alpha towered over him, and he could swear her bared teeth showed a sinister smile.

Meanwhile, Sora ran toward him, only to be stopped by three other wolves.

_Don't you dare touch her! _Yamato growled, but the pain was too much to bear for him to move.

_That human must be the reason why you defend your kind so much, _she hissed. _You never mentioned how delicious a human can look._

_I'll… I'll kill you… _

He was surprised that that came from his own mouth.

_You don't have it in you… Besides, you can barely stand. I can just leave you here to die… Or, better yet…_

Yamato looked on as more wolves appeared one by one, trapping Sora in their circle.

_We haven't had such a fine meal in a long while…_

_**xoxoxoxo**_

It didn't take long for Taichi to catch up with the one who attacked Yamato. He ran as fast as he could, shouting at the guy to stop. The guy obliged, though only when Taichi was close enough to tackle him to the ground.

"We need to talk, buddy!" Taichi yelled, holding onto the front of the guy's shoulders.

"The name is Eiji, and you need to get off of me!" he cried in a panic.

"Not until you explain why you hurt Yamato!"

"Wha- your friend? You know about Yamato? And you call him your _friend_?"

Taichi was furious. It took everything in him not to throw a punch. "You idiot!" Taichi raged instead. "He was protecting you from getting mauled by the other wolves!"

"How are you calling me an idiot when I am trying to escape?!" Eiji shouted.

"What kind of friend _are_ you if you left your own friend to die?!"

A twig snapped, startling Taichi. He looked back at Eiji, who was frozen in his spot.

"You're the one who's the idiot!" Eiji said, his voice quivering in a whisper as he stood up behind Taichi. "Didn't you realize there could be other wolves following us? I was trying to get the hell out of this place, before…"

A wolf emerged from the shadows, and Taichi knew by its menacing stare that it was not Yamato, nor was it on their side. Slowly, it moved toward Taichi, its rumbling getting louder the closer it got.

"You've done it now," Eiji continued, but instead of cowering with fear, Taichi stood a little taller, wondering where his newfound courage was coming from. All he knew was that Yamato and Sora were back there, and he was going to find any ounce of strength within him to fight however he could to get back to them.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Taichi heard the wolf yelp, and it appeared to flinch. The world around him suddenly looked sharper. He felt dizzy, almost nauseous, but it was as though he could see every drop of rain as it fell, every ember that flew away from the burning flames, and every strand of fur on the face of the wolf, who was visibly terrified.

"Huh…?" Taichi took a step forward, and the wolf whined before darting back in the other direction.

When he blinked again, the sharpness was gone. He blinked a few more times, the nausea still lingering, but his vision was back to normal.

"How... How did you…"

Eiji might have caught whatever sickness that Taichi just had, because he looked as though he had his own bout of nausea. He lost his footing in his step, and his eyes closed as Taichi caught him in his arms as he fell.

"Are you alright, man?" Taichi asked.

Eiji opened his eyes, and stared into Taichi's.

"For a moment… your eyes were different," he said, weakly. "How did you do that…?"

He passed out in Taichi's arms.

"Good question…" Taichi said aloud. This night was just getting weirder.

Taichi then put Eiji's arm around his neck and walked him to the nearest tree to set him down there. When he stood back up, he stared at the direction Yamato and Sora were. He blinked again, not knowing what the hell just happened, but it didn't stop him from running back to his friends.

_**xoxoxoxo**_

After Taichi disappeared, Sora ran past the trees and the flames, doing her best to stay hidden from sight as she made her way to the guy with the injured arm. There were only Yamato and the wolf she figured was known as the Alpha female - the leader of the wolf pack. Her coat was charcoal gray, and she had the aura of authority, both of which Yamato had described.

Sora saw that the two were communicating but sensed the tension between them. She wanted to find a way to get Yamato's attention, and stop anything worse from happening.

"Eiji…" she heard a voice moan nearby. Not too far from Yamato was the wolf hunter who lay on his side, cradling his wounded arm. She went to him and placed her palm on his forehead. He shivered and whimpered in pain as she surveyed his blood-soaked sleeve.

"We'll get you to a hospital," Sora said to him gently. Regardless of his motives, she wanted to make sure that he and everyone else got out of the forest alive.

Another sound reached her, terrifying to her ears. She got up and turned to see past the flames that the Alpha and Yamato barked louder between each other, their growling with more intensity. There was only one thing they would be fighting over, and Sora could feel the anger from both sides. Tears sprung into her lids, blurring her vision as she ran to him on instinct. She was desperate to get to him and make sure that he was okay.

In her panic, Sora heard herself shouting at them to stop fighting. Maybe Taichi was right - she was being reckless. If she learned anything else from Yamato about the Alpha, it was that the wolf leader despised humans, and she would not hesitate to attack if she was provoked.

And attack the Alpha did, as her sharp fangs bit into Yamato's chest. Sora screamed, watching Yamato fall to his side, the sight of dark red spreading on his fur frightening her even more. She watched him try to get back up, and she tried to run to him, though only to be quickly surrounded by wolves of the same charcoal coats, creating a blockade of snarls and growls, tongues hanging as their eyes stared hungrily for a fresh meal.

_I'm going to die here, _Sora thought to herself, her heart pounding in her chest. _But, I'm not leaving Yamato… _

Sora clenched her fists, her tears streaming down her cheeks. The rain fell faster, pelting against her body as the wind blew stronger.

And even stronger the wind became. The wolves began to bark as they buckled in their stance, struggling to stay on their legs. The drops of rain flew this way and that, and it seemed to fan the flames behind them.

Sora looked around, confused as she watched the wolves being forced to back away while the wind, rain, and flames swirled against them.

She wasn't affected at all.

But Yamato still lay helplessly on the ground. Taking her chance, she sprinted forward, leaping over the wolves that failed to attack her. Her mind raced the closer she got, wondering if he was still breathing, or if he…

Sora stopped with a gasp, as the Alpha jumped in front of her. The Alpha lowered her stance as she growled with her warning.

"Let me through!" Sora demanded.

_What did you do to my pack? _the Alpha barked with menace.

Sora took a step back, startled at what she heard.

"Sora!" Taichi called as he returned. She saw him hold his arm above his face as he resisted against the wind and rain to try to get to her.

"Please!" she cried to the Alpha. "Enough harm has been done tonight! You can't let him die…"

_This is why I will never trust any human. I should kill you for what you did._

"I don't know what I did!" Sora shouted back. "I'm begging you, please don't kill him… If you do… you might as well kill me, too."

The Alpha raised her head. _You would give your life willingly… for a monster like him?_

"He's not a monster," Sora whispered, her tears flowing freely. "He's Yamato. _My _Yamato."

Silence followed, and the wind died down. The rain continued to fall, calming the surrounding fire. The Alpha stood, giving Sora one last look, an unreadable expression, and turned to walk away. Quietly, one by one, the other wolves walked in the Alpha's direction.

_**xoxoxoxo**_

"Yamato…" called Sora.

The rain had slowed, although the breeze on his drenched fur did not help how cold he felt.

"I still can't believe it…" said Taichi, sounding breathless.

"Oh, Yama…" Sora paused, then let out a gasp when she placed her hand on his chest. "Taichi, grab his jacket. He's shivering."

_I hate it when you cry, _Yamato whined.

"Don't start with me, Yamato," she replied sternly as she wrapped his jacket over his wounded body.

_You… can understand me…?_

"Look at yourself right now… I'm taking you to Jou's to fix you up, and then, I'm taking you home."

Yamato lifted his head to face Sora, her worried eyes twinkling under the moonlight. She ran her hands along the damp fur of his neck, holding either side.

"I'm not letting you say goodbye," she said.

_...I'll take it back, then._

Did she understand him then? She must have, because he watched her lips curl into a smile, and he lowered his snout to let her press her forehead against his.

"Yamato…" he heard Taichi say in disbelief. "It really _is_ you." Yamato watched then as Taichi laughed and dropped to his knees. "I should have known."

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner," Sora said, laughing with him.

"Same here," came a new voice.

Yamato blinked, and looked to both Sora and Taichi, who were both stunned as they stared back. It was his own voice they all heard as he decided to transform. He saw that his vision darkened and he now relied on the flashlight Taichi was holding to be able to see. The cold and pain worsened without the fur on his bare skin.

"The bleeding stopped," Yamato said, hearing his voice gruff, but only as he fought through speaking with his wounds.

Sora helped him put his jeans back on as well as his shirt, which stained more from the newer wounds on his chest and arm.

"Can you stand?" she asked. Yamato nodded, and took her hand as she helped him up.

"Good," said Taichi, "Because I'm not about to carry you in your wolf form."

"I'm not _that_ heavy," Yamato retorted, taking offense. Sora shot Taichi a glare.

A calm breeze filled the air, lifting up a few strands of Sora's hair. Yamato squinted in curiosity and Sora tilted her head. "What is it?"

"You've got…" Yamato brought his hand to her hair, reaching for the light and fluffy thing that caught his attention.

"Fur?"

"It's a feather," Yamato replied, staring at it between the tips of his fingers.

"Where did _that_ come from?" Sora asked.

"Let's just get out of here," said Taichi. "No offense, but I'm done with surprises for tonight."

She and Taichi took either of Yamato's arms to help walk him through the now calm and tranquil forest. Yamato trusted the wolves had done enough prowling for the night.

That guy with the broken arm," said Sora. "He disappeared."

"I could've sworn I left Eiji somewhere along this path…" added Taichi.

Yamato remained silent. He knew that both Eiji and Kaoru were probably even more angry at the wolves, and that he didn't help improve the situation with the wolf pack either.

He didn't help anyone at all.

"I'm sorry Sora… Taichi…" Yamato grunted, his voice cracking as he spoke. "All I did was make things worse…"

As the three of them reached the forest edge, they spotted bright headlights at the top of the hill, and Takeru waving them down. Yamato gave him a small smile, and Takeru smiled back, with a look of relief.

Yamato walked up the hill with Taichi and Sora's help, and sat in the back of Takeru's car with Sora, and Taichi sat in the front passenger seat.

"You gonna be okay?" Sora asked, caressing his cheek as Takeru started the drive to Jou's.

"I will be," Yamato replied.

Sora smiled and kissed his cheek before letting him rest against her chest. His plan to escape ultimately failed. He didn't know if he would ever find a place with the wolves, nor if he would change the mind of some humans, but he knew that he had Sora and his friends on his side.

He knew one thing was for sure, as his pain was comforted in laying in Sora's arms, that try as he might, that he would never let her hear the sound of his goodbye.

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-owari-

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**A/N: **Inspired by Mamoru Hosoda's "Wolf Children". This was a plot bunny I wanted to explore, and maybe expand into a larger story in the future.

You might be wondering what happened to Taichi and Sora that got the wolves riled up. The next chapter gives you a… "hint" of some sorts.

**_click next to read the bonus chapter..._**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hi. I posted two chapters at once. Please go back and read chapter 3 in case you clicked to the end first.  
Otherwise, read on, my love!**_

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**Bonus Chapter**

_Ugh, is this for real?_

"Taichi! Quit fooling around! Mom made her famous onion pancakes tonight. She wants us home soon!"

_I can't go home, not when I look like this._

Taichi scrambled across the fallen leaves to find a place to hide. Hopefully, he was quick enough for Hikari to miss his movement. As he darted toward the largest leaf closest to the ground, he heard a light, "Oh!" before the footsteps fell closer to him.

"I never see anything like you around here!"

Hikari picked up the small lizard, holding it gently between her thumb and forefinger as it flailed in her hands.

"Don't worry, little guy," she said. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

She let it rest on the palm of her hand, and that was when she heard an odd noise from it. She looked at it curiously, then she giggled.

"You're odd, but kinda cute."

She stared at its beady eyes, and somehow, she wondered if it was frowning.

And Taichi was frowning. He grumbled the moment he settled onto her palm.

_Why do I have to be a freaking lizard?_

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**A/N:** I'm hoping to further the story into a longer fic, and it'll feature the other original children. And no, Taichi will not be a tiny lizard, but imagine what that would do to his ego especially knowing that Yamato is a big, bad wolf. :D


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